Microsoft: Games for Windows Live 'had a rocky start,' will 'continue to get better'

Microsoft has addressed Games for Windows Live's "rocky launch" and again said it will continue improving the PC gaming service.

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Not for the firsttime and surely not for the last, Microsoft has spoken about Games for Windows Live's "rocky start" and pledged again to continue improving it.

"The service started with the right intent, which was to bring Achievements, friends, multiplayer gaming and matchmaking in a really great way to PC," Microsoft interactive entertainment senior producer Kevin Unangst told CVG. "I think because it was designed originally as a partner to the console service more than the PC service, we had a rocky start."

Games for Windows Live (GFWL), not to be confused with Games for Windows or the Games for Windows Marketplace, is the service and client Microsoft uses to offer many features of Xbox Live in PC games. The GFWL suite offers developers ready-made solutions for DRM, achievements, friends, voice communication, matchmaking, an in-game marketplace for downloadable content, and more.

"We also didn't back it up with the most important thing, which is doing fantastic games to take advantage of the service. A network by itself isn't valuable--there needs to be great games to take advantage."

Unangst explained that Microsoft is taking feedback from developers to improve the service. This includes the teams behind Age of Empires Online and Fable 3, games which MS owns and will be publishing.

"I look at it as like what Halo did for Xbox Live," he said, "where you had Bungie and Microsoft going back and saying 'to make a great multiplayer game here's some things I need in the service, here's my audience.'"